Abstract

This working paper identifies sustainable development perspectives for peer-to-peer sharing business models. Using the Business Model Canvas, specific challenges of peer-to-peer sharing platforms are presented. Furthermore, the results of a focus group study are presented, which dealt with the question of how sharing platforms can be made even more attractive for their users and which measures and functions should be meaningfully integrated into the platforms in order to promote sustainable usage behaviour. Users of the platforms Drivy, Wimdu and Kleiderkreisel as well as people who do not yet use peer-to-peer sharing took part in the focus groups. The findings show that strengthening user trust is an important topic for the future development of the platforms. Optimising and further designing the trust-building mechanisms used by the platforms - verification, rating systems and insurance - plays a major role in this. Another important field of action is the further development of value propositions. Here, the use of new technical functions (e.g. smart locks, automatic opening of a rental vehicle via smartphone app) is essential to make transactions even easier and more convenient. But also the expansion of the core offer through additional offers can contribute to increasing the attractiveness for users. Furthermore, the study identifies various measures with which the platforms can promote sustainable user behaviour. In particular, they can emphasise environmentally friendly offers through highlighting and improved search functions. An integration of environmental topics into corporate communication can also make sense under certain conditions. The results can support peer-to-peer sharing platforms in further developing their business models against the backdrop of a market with high competitive pressure and in doing so set impulses for sustainable use.

Authors

Henseling, Christine; Hobelsberger, Christine; Flick, Christian; Behrendt, Siegfried